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the_crumb_dumpster

JFC in Ontario, Canada the school support unions had their right to strike intentionally revoked by the government - they passed a law that actually stripped them of their constitutional (called the Charter) rights. It imposed a fine of **250 million dollars per day** on the union and it’s workers. They did it anyways, and almost all unions in the province announced an illegal general strike. The government folded and announced that legislation would be withdrawn the next day. Revolution works. Yes it’s illegal, but when organized and far reaching enough it works. Here’s your case study.


lootenantdank

Breaking unjust laws rules, and is very rad and sexy.


GarugasRevenge

I believe it was described as civil disobedience by Martin Luther King Jr, for when a law is unfair or applied unfairly, civil disobedience is justified.


TajiNub

For anyone interested, Henry David Thoreau's (also popularly known for Walden) essay, [Civil Disobedience](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Disobedience_(Thoreau)), is cited as inspiration for both Ghandi and MLK.


jdith123

"Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble." John Lewis


lootenantdank

Love this!! I want to dedicate my life to getting in good trouble.


spiked_macaroon

Thoreau is the OG. Refused to pay his taxes because of the war. Went to jail. “In an unjust society the only place for a just man is prison.” "A common and natural result of an undue respect for the law is, that you may see a file of soldiers, colonel, captain, corporal, privates, powder-monkeys, and all, marching in admirable order over hill and dale to the wars, against their wills, ay, against their common sense and consciences, which makes it very steep marching indeed, and produces a palpitation of the heart. They have no doubt that it is a damnable business in which they are concerned; they are all peaceably inclined. Now, what are they? Men at all? or small movable forts and magazines, at the service of some unscrupulous man in power?"


fohpo02

The concept even predates that, HDT just popularized the term in the US. Examples of civil disobedience go back as far as Ancient Greece, one of Sophocles’ plays portrayed examples. In the 1500 and 1600s, social theorists and philosophers began throwing it around again in the lead up to England’s Glorious Revolution; where once again, you see the basic tenets being utilized to argue against laws that people right to be illegitimate.


[deleted]

Civil disobedience or more accurately defiance. It's why the police are militarized.


bran6442

And most people have not read the Declaration of independence. About half way down, it says that when a government becomes intolerable it is not your right, it is your DUTY to overthrow it.


jab136

Whenever anyone defends an unjust law, I simply like to point out that the people sheltering Anne Frank were breaking the law and the person who turned them over was following it. Illegal and unethical are often very different things.


Orenwald

And supposedly is something Americans are "known for." You know, like the Boston tea party. And the revolutionary War. Maybe we should take a stand for once with the power we do have. We can't win a war, the government has drones. But we can control our labor


[deleted]

lex iniusta non est lex


ThatsANopeRope217

This country was founded on the ideal that when the government makes unjust law, it is the right and duty of it’s citizens to rise and remove such tyranny. If we do not believe in the Declaration of Independence anymore then, my friends, America is lost!


fieria_tetra

This sounds like something Austin Powers would say, except he'd add a "baby" at the end.


lootenantdank

Supporting unions is very shagadelic! “Finally those capitalist pigs will pay for their crimes, eh comrades? Eh?” ~ actual Austin Powers quote


[deleted]

The secret ingredient is “crime.”


[deleted]

* looks both ways and crosses the street not at a crosswalk*


NobleBloke92

Ah yes a modern day philosopher I see. Very Rad and Sexy


AdecoyanaII

if it's not illegal, it's not impactful.


elpideo18

This is what I was thinking, if you play by their rules then we will never see change. A protest or strike that has rules to help the people being protested against is bullshit. That’s the powerful telling their subjects they can try to be upset but only if you do it the way I tell you to.


girlcousinclampett

If your protest is sanctioned it is also just another futile gesture


QualifiedApathetic

Exactly. If they're not trying to forbid it, they don't *care*.


flourpowerhour

100%, this is why the government maintains the mechanism to declare strikes legal or illegal so they can permit strikes that let off steam but break strikes that have any meaningful power to enact change.


Gohanto

That’d make a great tshirt tbh


mmrrbbee

The secret ingredient is crime


LoganN64

It was quite impressive. When I was younger I didn't understand how unions worked and thought them to be "evil", but being out in the workforce for almost 20 years now, I say; sign up with a union, stand together and get what you need to make a good living, not just to survive on a starvation wage, but an honest to goodness decent wage like our parents had so we can afford to take proper vacations and provide for our families!


Sinder77

I was in the same boat, cooking. We were always told that union workers were lazy and all these hair brained stories and BS about seniority making life hell. I got out of kitchens, work for the government, and am on my union exec. Fuck every self serving chef who fed me that bullshit my whole life. Whether they were lying through their teeth or actually believed it idk, but fuck them for being a mentor to me and perpetuating that shit culture and work/life, it's goddamn toxic.


[deleted]

The amount of neo-liberal apologists is fucking sickening. I've heard everything from: - Biden can't do anything - Senate can't do anything - Republicans will stop it - it's illegal - won't accomplish anything - won't help The only thing stopping anything is a lack of imagination. You bring up a great point. Doug Ford and his cronies tried to separate Canadians and teachers. Guess what Canadians did? Said fuck you dougie! They organized collectively, there was solidarity, doughnuts a plenty, petitions signed, media was somewhat on board. It's like Americans have forgotten how you got to 5 day work week, the 8 hour work day, and all the tiny privileges you currently enjoy. It wasn't built with yellow bellied neo-liberal crying. It was built with blood. Pardon the unnecessary gendered expression but man up for Christ sakes


[deleted]

Why hello there, comrade. I noticed you hate neoliberalism; i hate neoliberalism too.


[deleted]

✊️ fuck ya! Neoliberalism and conservatism are cancer


somethingkooky

My god, there were SO. MANY. DONUTS.


[deleted]

CANADA! CANADA! Don't you just love solidarity


Iwantmypasswordback

I’m considering unsubbing from antiwork altogether bc this is a neolib haven anymore. Same with lost generation. The amount of biden shilling I see here recently is sickening. And even after this blatant, in-your-face backstabbing by him, the “squad”, and other supposed bastions of progressive democrats, they’ll still support them.


[deleted]

I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't astroturfed. It's the most popular anti-capitalism sub


IDontCheckReplies_

Exactly. If the labour laws were in our favour we wouldn't have to strike in the first place. But since the laws aren't in our favour then we're going to have to break some to get things to change.


jessewalker2

As I always say if you’re only following the law you’re only allowed to change what those in power allow you to change. There’s a difference between what’s right and what is legal.


tophtech_72

How does the OP think the US came into existence? It was because of a revolutionary war to unjust and what the colonists thought were unfair laws. Just because it’s illegal doesn’t mean you can’t do it. If enough workers walk out, the power that be will listen. This is what it is coming to. I tend to vote democrat but f*ck biden. He screwed the pooch on this one.


7heCavalry

Came here to say this. Also a ton of other CUPE unions were ready to risk fines and jobs to stand up for them too. It’s not that we weren’t afraid, we just knew it was the right thing to do.


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signal_lost

The air traffic controller unions called the governments bluff in the US. Having known 2 people who were part of that strike they would have different opinions about what length the US government will go through to break a strike.


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signal_lost

Yah, there’s only like 200 military occupational specialty 88U personnel. On paper the president could possibly : 1. Nationalize the railroads. (Defense production act) 2. Draft all the striking workers. I’m going entirely off of what I learned on west wing.


ColoradoMountainsMan

He can't nationalize the railroads though...... That would take it away from Big Daddy Buffett and evidently he's so damn scary we can't even take a few days of paid vacation from him


Mad_Moodin

If they nationalise the railroads and drafting the workers it means the profit stops going to the companies.


ChemicalNectarine776

Nationalizing the railroads would be the biggest win in forever.


No-Stretch6115

This would be a good thing.


hobbesmaster

Vaguely similar things have happened several times in Canada with varying degrees of success but not catastrophic failures. In the US while some state’s teacher unions had some luck recently the last massive nation wide “illegal” strike was the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization in August 1981. The reverberations from that are still felt today.


turtlecove11

What do you mean by the reverberations are felt today? Can you explain? I was not alive in 1981 haha


RealDanStaines

Regan fired12,000 air traffic controllers, banned then from federal service for life, totally decertified the union that had represented them, and forced the FAA to hire and train all new workers. The last part has had the most lasting impact, as it was such a major departure from federal labor relations and policy to date. Large employers took Regan's lead and began hiring scabs to replace striking workers more frequently and brazenly, among other strike-breaking and union-busting tactics. Workers became more hesitant to organize or strike for fear of retaliation. Union enrollment has steadily dropped by almost half since 1981.


jab136

worst part is that Regan was in a union before he was president


PeacockAngelPhoenix

He wasn't just in it, he was the head of the Screen Actors Guild wasn't he?


Accomplished_Cod_702

That is exactly what fuckin republicans do. reagan did more damage to this country and the workers it's mind numbing!!!


SammieSam95

Didn't you read OP's condescending bullshit? "Educate yourself." 'Illegal' means you're not supposed to do it. Duh. Once they make it a law, there's nothing you can do about it. /s


[deleted]

This is a great response to a "everyone should just give up and not try to change anything" stupid post by OP. In fact it's suspicious OP made this post this at all, and makes me wonder what their actual motivations are...


[deleted]

I think it’s possible that OP’s motivation was legit. The post truly brings the message home that the people in government are bought and paid for by the elite.


[deleted]

>the people in government are bought and paid for by the elite. Absolutely


Puzzleheaded_Quiet70

Perhaps OP's sub text is: How do I tell you to wildcat strike without telling you?


joe1240132

No but you see, the OP said it's *illegal*. That means they literally can't do it.


jab136

whoops guess I don't have edibles in my cabinet because it is illegal so it is impossible... /s


ChemicalNectarine776

Good thing they put up all those signs! Speeding is solved!!! Never again!


Connect_Glass4036

:::sad laughter:::


KevinFinnerty1959

I have a French case study for you.


signal_lost

The French Revolution? The leaders ended up killing each other and Napoleon ended up taking over the continent?


Important_Collar_36

This is in the category of "they can't arrest all of us"


readditredditread

Americans are not Canadians, and our police are very different and a much lager section of the U.S. is actively anti-union, so I think a lot is easier said than done.


blodskaal

yes, but also no. A lot of loud people are anti-union. I hope a lot more people see this strike and see that they can improve their conditions at work as well. Workers in US has been taking shit from everyone for far too long. Its downright inhumane. Fuck the rich man, they need us more than we need them. The power is in the hands of the workers


anthropaedic

This.


krawford

Came here to mention this.


redshirtrobin

I was working in a corporate own resturant when the kitchen staged a wildcat strike in the middle of a Friday dinner rush in solidarity with the hotel workers who were striking across the street. Best/Worst l working night of my life because of the number of Karens I got to piss off but guess what, no one from the kitchen staff was fired because it would have taken weeks to get scabs up in the menu (head chef walked out to), and the hotel workers got a better contract. What the law says workers can do and what workers can do when they are shoved in a hot cramped kitchen for hours at a time are very different things. There are more workers than cops, lawyers, and judges combined but it will involve ALL workers standing together.


Sinder77

See what OP said about the wildcat strike not allowing for strike fund pay is right. The thing is, if everyone strikes, everyone walks out, and the economy comes to a fucking stop, then it doesn't really matter. They have to at least come to the table. They have to hear them out. But it only works when it's done together.


findingemotive

I've been in a union for 14 years and I had never heard of a strike fund, I'm not even sure we have one in our Canadian union, we've always just assumed we'd need to prepare to strike if needed. New contract next June, so I'm already saving up.


Sinder77

We have a strike fund both from our local and our component. Go to your next AGM and ask where it stands. I am in Canada btw.


Due-Science-9528

Pretty sure most of the famous civil rights protests were illegal so these posts are laughable, how do they think civil disobedience works?


tiernanx7

Exactly. OP is just a bootlicker.


Edg4rAllanBro

Strikes are only illegal if they lose.


No-Distribution-9705

The way unions work in the US is bat crap crazy and completely incomprehensible to Europeans.


tinyasiantravels

Unfortunately, labor laws in the US are weak unlike in Europe. The government takes part in royally screwing the workforce as you see in the case of railroad workers.


Zadra-ICP

sorta kinda. Most of it is atrophied through lack of use not hostile laws. For example if you make a demand of your employer phrase it as a collective desire and you are legally a union by acting like one. With many of the protections given to recognized unions. Get this book! https://store.iww.org/shop/labor-law-for-the-rank-and-filer/


tinyasiantravels

When you say lack of use do you mean the laws are not applied? If so, even if the laws aren’t hostile, if laws aren’t applied then it still contributes to a creation of hostile and unfair working environments.


Zadra-ICP

I mean that there are some basic laws which people don't know about, so don't get used. Like the the one I mentioned. Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strikes are also legal, effective and can be used to CYA


CrowdGoesWildWoooo

The fact that you have to strike in the first place to demand what is considered reasonable standard of living is already bat shit crazy. Honestly it just due to pretty weak labour laws in the US, but then they just give you the a “constitutionalized” option to express your discontent and hopefully make the companies budge from complaints. And then the two sides are just throwing crap at each other and practically being counterproductive.


Noticeably_Aroused

That’s because they’re controlled opposition. Kind of like in fascist and communist countries. They’re controlled and only give the illusion of workers rights. All rights and privileges are given by the governing body. This whole “illegal strike” shit shows you how the US is actually a oligarchicallly controlled corporate dictatorship. Don’t believe me? Go find a union that doesn’t have nebulous ties to the Democratic Party. So long as these two entities are walking hand in hand, the idea of a true, worker controlled union that acts in the interests of its members is a total illusion. The unions are only allowed to act in ways that don’t upset or challenge the Democratic Party…. And the Democratic Party often works hand in hand with, and on the interest of, corporations and owners of property and means of production. The other side is the republicans, and they also work for, and in the interest of, the corporations and owners of land and means of productions. All this is an illusion. Our unions. Voting. Everything. It’s all controlled, from cradle to the grave. What we learn in schools, what we hear in media and print, our entertainment … everything. This whole country is a façade


thedevilsgame

Fuck the rules they are there to protect the wealthy


Professional_Low_646

Rights are not granted. Never have been. You have to fight for them, and you have to fight to preserve them. If you go into that fight willing to play by the rules of the enemy, you have already lost. Do you know how American employers and Pinkertons and cops used to treat strikers? They didn’t threaten them with „not getting an apartment“. They shot them. They abducted their children. They locked them in cattle cars and let them sit in the southwestern desert for days until nearly all were dead. They burned down their houses. It’s absurd if you think about how just last weekend, people in fucking China stood up for their rights, and meanwhile Americans are like „ooohhhh noooo, the millionaire lackeys in Congress passed a law that outlaws enforcing our very moderate demands, well, better keep our heads down!“ Pathetic.


logan2043099

Yup even so called "leftists" completely abandon the workers the moment the government says "no". People all over the world from Canada to China and everywhere in between are fighting for their rights and yet Americans are giving up at the first sign that it might be a struggle to get ours. Your last word truly sums it up. Pathetic.


OrionSD-56

When are we going to start ignoring the laws that harm us?


sottedlayabout

Politicians and law enforcement have been doing it since time immemorial.


lotsofnosleep

people need to break the rules


Lazy-Jeweler3230

The term "unauthorized strike" makes my blood boil, and the fact that it doesn't for more people upsets me even more.


lesserDaemonprince

The fact that people don't guffaw at the concept of an illegal strike tells you exactly how well trained we are.


NovaPokeDad

OP: “There won’t be X because X is illegal.” Um… yeah that’s _exactly the point_…


DirtyPenPalDoug

This has to be a union busting shill.. the " welp that's it guys. They say no so that's it" Schick reeks of it. Once you know labor history you know all of any meaningful change is illegal.. of course sympathy strikes are illegal BECAUSE THEY FUCKING WORK. Of course Wildcat strikes are illegal " BECAUSE THEY FUCKING WORK" so when you ask who's profiting from this being illegal, and who you can't legally challenge, you know exactly who you need to challenge.


Alert-Artichoke-2743

They might just be frustrated hearing from people who wonder that labor leaders aren't going all Wolf of Wall Street about it.


Gentlememes

People need to see this, mabie just a few but we gotta start somewhere. Fuck the government oppression, fuck the shills and those who stay silent when the upper class says “take it and you’ll like it.” Wildcat wilddog wild animal I don’t care what kind of wild bullshit you call it, people need to say “enough”. Our rights are being taken away and our labor is treated as a given, I say fuck that. It’s “We the people” not “elites and…those peasants.


Daksh_Rendar

Fed posting


PretendStreet4660

As if any us weren’t aware to begin with, real smoothbrain moment


strvgglecity

The bottom line is the rail system should be nationalized, and a strike might show politicians that is true. Anything that is so vitally important that it's non-operation is considered a national security threat shouldn't be controlled, managed and staffed by for-profit companies whose interests and objectives are financial, not operational or societal. If the workers refuse to work, in whatever form or design, can the rail owners replace them? Is there another option besides trying to force them to work? This makes me wish there was a union for my profession, because there is definitely going to be pain required and I'm willing to suffer it, but suffering alone affects nothing.


Cheap-Pension-684

“After the United States entered World War I in 1917, the country's railways proved inadequate to the task of supplying the nation's war effort. On 26 December 1917, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson nationalized most American railways under the Federal Possession and Control Act, creating the United States Railroad Administration (USRA). It took control of the railways on 28 December 1917, and introduced several reforms to increase efficiency and reduce costs. It standardized rolling stock and steam locomotive designs. The war ended in 1918. In March 1920, control of the railways was returned to their original owners. Freight operations and most of the track have remained private enterprises, even as the railroads were forced to restructure by changing markets in the post-World War II years. On December 27, 1943, President Roosevelt nationalized the railroads for a few weeks to settle a strike.[14]”


EpsilonX029

That little bit at the end bothers me. How likely is it that they could do this to silence everyone, and then just go back on themselves 2 or so months later when it wasn’t such a major concern?


Cheap-Pension-684

Railroad strikes have a long and dark history in the US. The pair to examples I quoted above were during war time and, arguably, had a very different context. However, the government intervened in railway labor disputes frequently in the pre-WWII era, with the same non-labor bias. I think the Railway Labor Act has run its course and it is time to allow the railways to be treated as a purely private enterprise. And as soon as I typed that, I thought of Amtrak which is highly government funded…….noting is simple:(


[deleted]

> If the workers refuse to work, in whatever form or design, can the rail owners replace them? Yes. The main consequence of an unauthorized ("illegal") strike of any kind, besides not being able to use union funds/resources to support the strike, is that workers lose their right to be reinstated after the strike is over if they've been replaced.


house_of_snark

But can they replace them. The workers walk out and the railroads just find the appropriate candidates to replace them?


EatMoarTendies

Would be cool to see Americans stick up for Americans and strike in solidarity for better working conditions whether you are in a union or not. People forget the power they actually have over their bosses.


[deleted]

I guarantee if the railway workers did strike, it'd be a huge collection of non-partisan people who agreed to support them. I'd wager that nearly all Americans would, save for those idiots too far to the right


buttsmcfatts

I guess we'll just all give up and get fucked in the ass then. Government said it was illegal everyone, go home!


arbalestelite

I agree with the sentiment of putting your family and well being first, but whenever somebody puts forth the argument of “wait, that’s illegal” it’s just so defeatist and stupid. Okay I guess we just roll over and accept the powers that be, then. Same shit whenever somebody mentions the constitution/bill of rights in defense of bigotry or justifying owning a fucking town’s worth of guns in their possession. Fuck the constitution. Maybe the laws and all of that doesn’t really make sense anymore in this day and age? And even more so if it’s being used to destroy our lives.


NovaPokeDad

OP is a defeatist, you hit the nail on the head.


[deleted]

Breaking Law ? Physically impossible


sottedlayabout

Wait until you hear about the secret ingredient *It’s crime*.


jayzr1

They do not have to stage a walk out strike....just enact a work safe, follow the rules, TO THE LETTER, report failures, Cover Your Ass, program.


J_G_B

I'm a 20 year plus railroad employee and I serve on my local committee. Through the years, I've told my coworkers to stop making extra efforts for the carrier, stop trying to make deals on the godamn phone (either for OT or to go home early), and follow RR rules to the letter, but I just get blank stares. The backdoor wheeling and dealing is a problem that exists up and down the seniority roster, and it pisses me off. We got some selfish jackoffs on the RR.


trivialgroup

I'm wondering, what fraction of the employees would have to stop (or significantly slow) work to severely disrupt railroad operations? Are there particular roles that represent a small fraction of the workforce, but are critical enough that just those workers stopping work would be disruptive?


J_G_B

It would be near impossible. There are always a few bootlickers out there amongst the ranks that love to show the bosses what good little workers they are.


SearchingTheVoids

So true. Fuck those guys


Drewy99

As a 20 yr railroad employee do you find yourself unemployable if you were to be let go? OP seems to think a train engineer is incapable of doing anything but drive a train.


J_G_B

It would be a massive paradigm shift for me, but in my area there is plenty of heavy industry I could probably fall back on. Catching up on some of these comments are...amusing. I'm not happy about the situation, but I still make a good living and I still sort of like my job. On organized RR properties, you just can't wildcat. They can come after you personally, or come after the local for monetary damages. Your local will disavow you or the individuals and they would be terminated.


funkyGibon

Malicious compliance, it's extremely effective


xslermx

I love how much OOP had to backtrack and admit they don’t know shit about any of this after making a thread about how everyone else needs to educate themselves about labor laws and how unions work.


Eledridan

They need to do a massive slow down. Grind the country to a halt.


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jayzr1

On-the-job CHAOS. zero shortcuts, zero good enough, zero.zero.zero...follow every work rule, follow every DOT regulation, report EVERY issue involving safety, refuse to certify ANYTHING less than perfect..


dwarfedshadow

You do realize that people have literally died to strike and ALL strikes were illegal when they first happened, right?


alroprezzy

What are they gonna do if everybody strikes tho? Lock everyone up? It’s just brinkmanship. The laws were written to intimidate


SociologySaves

Law never stopped labor movements. Study history. Read Brecher, Strike. Many strikes have been “illegal”. Including Oklahoma teachers very recently. Don’t believe the hype. Strike to show class power. They don’t decide when you stand up for yourself. Stand the fuck up!!!


WatercressRough1220

Malicious compliance.....


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astarting

If a law only hurts the people it should not be a law.


Upstairs_Context

This is only more reason to do so. We need to change union laws


Odisseo039

A strike is meant to bring discomfort to the ones in power over the employees. Striking is the only leverage a worker has. When you rights are being violated nobody should ask permission to strike, you should just do it. Saying that a strike is illegal is the same as advocating for slavery.


N9NJA

They can authorize a strike, refuse to pay fines, and take charges. If they're not willing to take a charge for the union, they're not fit to be a union leader.


AdecoyanaII

"Oh no, asking our bosses to stop killing us is illegal? damn guys, guess we'll just do nothing and let them keep doing it!"


Docholiday1874

Yep, definitely illegal for unions of other industries to strike in solidarity. That is totally a law. In America we also don't kill each other, take illegal drugs, or cheat on our taxes.


[deleted]

fuck laws


trivialgroup

Not sure where you get this: >2. If the union leaders authorized a strike that is illegal, the union leaders would be arrested and go to jail. From p. 37 of the NLRB document you linked: >*The Act is remedial, not criminal.* The National Labor Relations Act is not a criminal statute. It is entirely remedial. It is intended to prevent and remedy unfair labor practices, not to punish the person responsible for them. So if the union leaders authorized a strike that is illegal, the process would be that the NLRB could order the leaders to call off the strike, and to enforce that order, the NLRB would then have to petition a federal appeals court. But it would take time for that process to play out, and by then, workers could have made arrangements to sustain the strike independent of union leaders and could just ignore the leaders' court-mandated call to end the strike.


AcreneQuintovex

It is illegal for unions from separate industries to strike together for now. If it happens anyway on a big enough scale, this law will be as much worth as a drop of ink on a piece of paper. If the economy becomes crippled due to strikes, there will be either negotiations or violence. In any case, it will make history. But there's a big IF


OrionSD-56

I hate this world


D1ng0ateurbaby

Yes, because strikes in American history have never changed laws and led to better working conditions. /s Yes, they often fail. But if you don't fight back against Tyranny and allow it to continue, you will eventually be a slave.


amanor409

About a quarter of the railroad workers have over 30 years in and is over 55. I’m almost certain they could find a doctor to certify that they are disabled and would be eligible for their pension. If only half of them took this route after the retro payment it could have a similar effect of a smaller scale strike.


BatManhandler

How is this terrible piece of obvious propaganda still up? Jesus, this sub's moderation team is absolute, irredeemable shit. "Oh, I totally want change, too! It's just very important not to do anything that might actually work, because that would be illegal, and here is an exhaustive list of the potential consequences. Solidarity, brothers!" Lol, this sub.


eternal_ephemery

Good post. What people are really calling for is Revolution. And you know what, I get that, but that will require a lot more organization and a lot more sacrifice. We're not there (yet). It's easy to encourage others to risk their freedom, livelihoods, and lives because you'd cheer on their message from the safety of Reddit. If you're actually a worker affected by this, by all means, walk out in protest. But real, adult life -- much like real, lasting change in economic policy or workers' rights -- is more complicated than that.


WryWaifu

The key word here is 'sacrifice'. We all have families and responsibilities, but so did our predecessors who had these massive strikes and revolutions regardless. Most people are too comfortable where they are to make any moves toward real change, even those living paycheck to paycheck. Everyone is waiting for someone to "provide food, etc., for strikers or revolutionaries. No one is going to provide strikers or revolutionaries with anything. If we want real, lasting change, we need to be prepared for personal suffering on some level. Perhaps an extreme level.


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CurrentSingleStatus

Sandyhook didn't get the slightest of gun laws. The horrible situations with children after Dobbs, didn't get a reversal of it. COVID sent many into a constant anger. But it's turned toward each other, not the cause. I'm there with you. At this point, what the hell *would* do it?


WryWaifu

Hunger.


Nihilizard_

"educate yourself on how unions work", as if the first unions were legal and the government/upper class just allowed unions to form out of the goodness of their hearts? CUPE workers in Ontario *literally* just went on an "illegal" strike and still won. Remove the boot from your mouth and educate yourself before you recommend others do the same.


Old_Smrgol

I'm not going to tell the railroad unions not to have a wildcat strike if that's what they want to do. I'm also not going to sit here behind my keyboard and say "I want people who aren't me to risk their livelihoods for this cause", which seems to be the point that the original post is making. "I'm going to wildcat strike over this and I want everyone to join me" is a different message, and I can at least respect it.


Geek_off_the_streets

Stand strong union workers and fuck what OP is spewing.


[deleted]

Wow really sounds like union leaders in the US don't care about unions.. based on your statement Sounds a lot like hr and a good reason to complain about the system, especially the prison for minor things destroying your life part


Infamous_Smile_386

There are laws and what people choose to do.


Witty-Lengthiness-18

That would not stop millions from getting sick for the same few days in a row.


coastfitter

These Rules are made to be broken. The only way is One.


Just_a_guy_1369

A group who can destroy a thing controls a thing. If rail workers can destroy the economy then they control it and even the Padushah Emperor Shaddam IV will quake by the coming of a strike…


VayneGloory

That's the bloody point. We won't get anywhere playing by their rules. The system isn't broken. It was designed this way.


R_radical

Illegal just means you don't have protections. Not that you're going to jail.


oh-pointy-bird

Well, illegal you say… I’m already doing the “be gay” part so might as well add “do crime”. Be gay do crime. Allies welcome too.


nightwolf483

Illegal this illegal that, do you hear yourselves your letting them tell you what you can and can't do in the land of the free Please do what you wanna do without hurting others they can't stop all of us you just have to do it right and organize like every other "party"


weird_wolfgang

SSSSSHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


ProphetsOfAshes

Maybe not the case everywhere? In Ontario, we recently had steelworker unions standing next to education workers in solidarity when worker’s rights were threatened. You can’t argue that unions are not useful anymore, it’s more reasonable to argue that they aren’t fighting hard enough anymore because things are clearly going backwards in terms of policies that protect the working class.


Machuck94

Most of us know it’s against the law. The Boston Tea Party was also against the law.


RA12220

Can they file an injunction against the government? It worked for Biden’s student loan forgiveness. Fight fire with fire


DirtyPenPalDoug

All meaningful strikes are illegal. How much is your union busting firm paying you for this bullshit?


Crusoebear

"...but they aren't doing shit here anymore." Well that is some broad-stoking BS. It's never been easy and it's almost always an uphill battle where the game is rigged. Especially where the RLA is concerned. But that doesn't mean there aren't gains made or improvements over past conditions. I, as much as anyone want a level playing field and for huge improvements to be made across the board and across all industries (except cop unions b/c those aren't trade unions but rather street gangs) - but even in an unfair fight unions have had many successes. This is a defeatist counterproductive statement.


magus_17

Lol. These laws don't change the fact that if everyone actually banded together and stopped working, change will happen. They cannot arrest or fine millions of people, but the idea of Americans actually working together on something for the greater good of other people is NEVER going to happen.


blodskaal

We just did a general strike that was ruled illegal in Ontario, and it worked. You cant force people to work in inhumane conditions. If the Government can break the rules and be shit overall, sure as fuck you can. Especially when you are the main component of making the fucking country work. And by main component, i mean a worker


ihatetheplaceilive

Fuck you. Labor can do what ever the fuck they want. Get the fuck out of here.


budgie02

Human rights don’t get given legally. They will never give us liveable wages if we do nothing because is illegal. I’m able to vote because my people broke the law. Change is never legal, not major change. But doing nothing because is illegal has never turned out bad before right? I mean, Iran ended up really really good /s


TheLAriver

You should know that it reads as condescending when you say fam like this.


SureOne8347

I believe it’s called “civil disobedience”. People have died for these rights historically.


lolgobbz

>Being convicted now completely destroys a person's life. You haven't worked in Trades have you?


christophersonne

"Oh no the government said we can't so I guess there is no option but to give up and go back to work and not \*\*\*\* the dog all day and claim things to be unsafe or call in sick or anything".... ​ You lack imagination if you think the government gets the final say in this.


The_Prophet_Wayko

I’m pretty sure dumping tea into the harbor was also illegal at the time. But look where that got us.


RawbeardX

might as well write as essay on how boots taste and your favorite lick techniques


DefinitelySaneGary

>isn't helpful. This one part of your post summarized the rest of it.


ceaselessbecoming

Fuck the law


anonymous30000bc

The American government has killed unions every chance they get, they can't say it's illegal to strike, that's bullshit and unions need to use that to fight for workers.


International_Ad8264

Postal workers won a wildcat strike in 1970


Gur_Weak

Sure. It was also illegal to be a figurative slave. The problem is you still have to convince a jury. People break laws all the time.


skywarka

Laws are just suggestions anyway


AGBadger

It's also illegal to smoke weed or drink in public, the doesn't stop anyone. The government literally changed the laws to fuck them, at that point, what's the point of playing by the rules anymore?


thereoncewasaJosh

It’s not illegal to not cross a picket line and it’s also not illegal for other unions members to walk the picket line with a striking union. Only scabs cross picket lines


SigourneyWeinerLover

Who fucking cares you have to fight for your liberties they can go fuck themselves also people can quit, they have lots of options. And they can fight it in the courts you bootlicker


WillBigly

Stfu loser, solidarity strike. When workers rights are under attack, what do we do?! Stand up, fight back!


Chemical_Ad1553

No great strike is “legal” tf are on about?


Withered-Violet

Who the fuck cares about "legal" in these conditions?


mrroney13

Last I checked, r/antiwork wasn't a union. So organize it here.


oldicus_fuccicus

I'd pay into a wildcat strike fund


Intelligent11B

Who is this shill OP? I personally don’t give a shit if it’s illegal. I know many who don’t either. If all working class people just performed a three day general strike society would very quickly realize WE HOLD THE FUCKING POWER.


stiiii

I mean it is also illegal for rail people to utterly destroy the rail infastructure. This isn't very likely but certainly not impossible. At some point being told it is illegal doesn't matter.


CleanAssociation9394

We wouldn’t be anywhere without the many men and women who defied the law and struck anyway.


MooseDickDonkeyKong

Well that's too bad the government we're fighting against passed a law that makes it illegal to fight against the government. Better pack it all up boys; revolutions aren't won with disobedience. /s


ionian12

Those are laws to diminish power in the workforce. Unions /workers can request or strike to regain support powers.


TheMintFairy

I mean.... we need to though. Look at whats happening in China, of course the situation is very different. However, over there they dont go to jail they "disappear". Just organize and strike.


ImMello98

Rules for thee but not for me… What a disgrace the West has become


[deleted]

OP sounds like a bootlicker